Sunday, April 15, 2012

Yesterday evening, a snow storm hit. K and I were out walking during the deluge of snow.

At almost the same time, a good distance away, a mountain lion walked among my trail cameras.

He was curious about the cams and looked at them closely.

He passed at least three of my cameras, one of which was shooting video. I'll compile the fascinating footage for a future post. I am so happy to have these big cats back in our forest after their winter hiatus.

This morning, K and I headed out for our ride, with me on my snow bike for the first time in more than a week. I had switched over to my summer bike last week.

K romped through the 6" of wet snow with incredible enthusiasm. This girl never ceases to amaze me. The "median survival time" after osteosarcoma goes to the lungs is not long, yet she is still running around joyfully.

She trotted over Hug Hill, with the mountains obscured behind the storm clouds.

As we descended from the peak, K ran parallel to me in the pine forest. As I watched her, she leaped up onto a big fallen tree about 3' off the ground. She touched it briefly with her paws and then gracefully leaped off onto the other side. Wow! She is still living with verve! Our girl is seizing each day!

On our descent, we stopped in a spot where I photographed K yesterday. Here she was yesterday, looking coppery in the green clearing. Both of us were a little hot in the sun yesterday.

Here she is in almost the same place today. It looked completely different, and I was getting cold as I photographed her.

Here's to the amazing courage of a mountain lion in a spring storm and of our K in the fight of her life.

Looking at K in these wonderful pictures, you'd never know she is battling anything let alone osteosarcoma! She still seems so strong and perfectly content in her surroundings. She is so graceful and happy, how can she not be; after all she is doing what she loves everyday with the one she loves by her side! I just showed my husband the pictures you captured of the mountain lion and like me he is in awe!

Snow in April in the mountains is nothing too unusual, we get it here. Though I don't think it's likely this year unless the weather totally changes. There's plenty of the stuff at the higher altitudes though; I'm at about 5800 feet so not all that high.

K looks lovely no matter the surroundings. And so happy! Few animals can look happier than a happy dog. :)

That is a beautiful cat! I hope you see more of him so that we can as well.

It's hard to pic a favorite photo but we like the 5th on with K's looking straight on to the camera and you with her happy face and playful eyes.I looked up inspiration and know what I saw? A picture of K.Blessings,Goose

Mother Nature is so fickle! I love the last two shots of her in the green forest and the snowy forest. That's pretty cool!

Despite the snow, it seems like things are really waking up in your corner of the world with bears and mountain lions returning. Hopefully they didn't arrive too early and this was just a brief passing through of snow!

K is such an amazing girl . . .I hope she continues along this merry way for a long time.

The Collar on the Mountain Lion looks way too snug to me. Do the people who attach them ever look at them again? When they catch a meal, can they tear it up like they might want to or do they wind up eating differently. I hate those collars!

I hate to start out by saying "I'm sorry" BUT, truly I am sorry for having been absentee in your beautiful part of the world lately. I've had time to take a peek here and there but never enough time to compose a comment. Work has been busy and home life with aging parents and their needs has taken precedence over blog time. This is my life, and just like you - it's not always what we'd like it to be, but it is what it is and we have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and keep putting one foot in front of the other. On that note, I am truly sorry that the report you got on K's tumors was not a good one. I'm sure that was a gut-wrenching news. I think I speak for all of your blog friends when I say we understand, because you are not the only one holding out for that miracle.

It would be IMPOSSIBLE to make comments about all the great pics you've had the last week or so but several pop out in my mind that need mentioned. First off - K in your hat! Who can resist doing that? At least she left it there long enough to get a pic - Ches either tries to bite it or swat it with his paw before I can even get the camera on him.

The bear and his whammy tree! I never heard of that and the pics were awesome of him marking his tree - especially the one where he almost fell over. Made me LOL!

The top of the world pic overlooking the desert is breathtaking and the picture almost makes me dizzy - I can't imagine actually standing there. What a feeling of "smallness" that must be to sit there and look down. God has blessed us with such natural wonders! Thanks for sharing your piece of paradise with us.

The bobcats, coyotes and hawk are wonderful pics too. Of course, I enjoy watching K and R romp and frolic in your wonderland. I love coming here to visit, your pics always bring a sense of wonder and peace to my busy brain. Thank-you!

Look at your K doing her thing! You show your courage as stick with her, fighting each day to live to the fullest.

I had a day last week when (for no good reason) the world felt like it was coming to an end. Just as I decided to skip our trail time, I thought of you and K, your example to always carpe diem, and I got my tush and Kona Dog out the door. Out on the trail we ran into a bobcat =)

Follow by Email

Wildlife photos sponsored by

The Kiss: K and R

About Me

I live at 8200' in the Front Range of Colorado. I love exploring nature
in the mountains while riding my mountain bike and romping with my
two Labradors. Photography is another passion, including both "normal" photography and trail camera photography of wildlife.

My two dogs are Shyla, a 4-year-old Chocolate Lab, and R, a 8-year-old Black Lab.